


We are Intertwined and Entangled

by schulott



Series: And we find home in each other's arms [3]
Category: Formula 1 RPF
Genre: Future Fic, M/M, Moving In Together, Portuguese GP 2021, Spanish GP 2021, The Author Regrets Everything, no beta i just exist, yet again
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-10
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-14 17:47:52
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28674711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/schulott/pseuds/schulott
Summary: Distance only brings yearning, so it seems logical when they have a solution to mitigate that, they would grab it with their hands.(Or: Just the two going through with the plan of getting a place together in Italy, and also a few people in their lives finding out - they knew already, really, but that is besides the point)(Near-)future fic surrounding the 2021 Portuguese and Spanish GP.
Relationships: Callum Ilott/Mick Schumacher
Series: And we find home in each other's arms [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2089959
Comments: 8
Kudos: 56





	We are Intertwined and Entangled

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: I do not claim to own any of these characters, and this is a work of fiction. This is not intended to be any reference to, or be any likeness to any people or events in real life. No economic value of any kind has been produced in writing this.
> 
> I worked 80 hours in six days last week with only Sunday to myself. Then I had the genius idea to write this instead of resting and posting this 3am on Monday. Rest in pieces @ me
> 
> Hope you enjoy this.

**12 April 2021**

_ Monday 16:29 CST _

“You alright, bub?” Callum asks, as Mick shuffles a little gingerly around the room, checking for any items left behind. The flight out of China back to Europe is not until another few hours, but it is just Mick being Mick, as he checks a few times that everything is in order, and would probably drag Callum to the airport with him at least half an hour earlier than what Callum would have done on his own.

“Mhm.” Mick insists, as he moves back to sit down on the chair next to Callum’s, by the window, grimacing as he does so. Callum gives him a look again, before finally asking the question that has appeared in his mind since they woke up way past noon time. “Did I go too hard last night?”

Before he could even finish his question, Mick had already objected, and claimed that it was exactly what he needed. Mick finally gives up though, as he moves to the bed and flops down on his belly, resting himself a little before the long flight back to Europe. He opens his mouth again, but the threat of Mick getting mad at him for asking again or apologising for it stops Callum from doing either further, instead he follows Mick back to bed, slipping up his side and wrapping him in a loose hug with no heat or intent behind it, and just being there to keep him occupied and distracted from the sensation. Mick has had a call to make with some sponsor of the team, and he had even done it staying in bed and in the arms of Callum, unbeknownst to the world.

The flight back was uneventful, it was not packed given the travel restrictions and city pairings, and they were just left to their own devices, mostly undisturbed by outside the little invisible bubble of themselves. They share a pair of earbuds as Mick takes control of the music, pulling up a tasteful playlist that is nothing too energetic, and they talk to each other now and then on something that came to their minds. There were not any overt displays of affections - after all they are in public and they are not people that could easily be not recognised. The most they have done is when they unfurl the flimsy airplane blanket to cover themselves a little as they try to sleep, when their hands inch closer and closer, and in the end Callum takes the initiative to hold his hand which earns him a smile from Mick in the dimmed lighting of the cabin, and a squeeze as their fingers laced together, before Mick continues with his nightly reading of some French article that he has saved on his tablet.

* * *

**13 April 2021**

_ Tuesday 05:13 CET _

“Ladies and gentlemen, this is your captain speaking - we would be landing in Bologna in 20 minutes, local time is 5:13, the weather is clear but chilly down there, temperature’s 7 degrees.”

The PA system comes on, as Mick looks out of the window, seeing the streaks of orange hue of the sun colouring the skies. He half-heartedly listens to the captain waffling on for a little more, before he puts his headphones back into noise cancellation, as he pulls out his phone and takes a snap of the scenery before him, with the plane still barely above the sky. Callum has drifted off again between breakfast and now, breathing evenly. Mick looks over, allowing himself to take in the sight for as long as he desires - with their relative privacy towards the front of the plane, with reduced number of fellow passengers aiding that further; as well as Callum not being awake to make cheeky comments about Mick staring at him and just his lack of cooperating in general.

Sometimes Mick still has to pinch himself a little, looking at Callum knowing that the Brit is all his, and that he is on the receiving end of the love and attention coming from him. One might hazard to guess it would be something done by someone who Mick dates, and Mick cannot claim to know whether Callum has done this before, but Mick is just speaking for himself. That the cheeky and naturally charismatic guy reciprocates the holy and unholy things Mick has thought of him, added with the care, time, and attention that is directed Mick’s way while also accommodating Mick’s preferences when it comes to things like privacy or laying low in general, that he accepts and treasures the love Mick has poured out for him all the same.

Sometimes it flies over the top of his head that this thing is still so young, that they are still in the phase of being madly in love, if you believe the whole theory about how relationships evolve, not that he does, but Mick sometimes finds himself feeling like they have been together for a long time, and are still going strong - and he does not really see how that would change when what they have are on top of the understanding and connection that they have between them in the first place, that they are in tune with the other, in a way.

It might be a risky move, considering how careful Mick is usually about things, but with a relatively deserted surrounding, he could not help but reach out and push Callum’s hair, where it has fallen into his eyes, back in place - the lack of product not helping his case, even though Callum’s way of styling his hair means it is not rare that the hair would fall into his face anyway. He then lets his fingers trace down the edge of Callum’s face, before dropping them back into his lap, shuffling a bit to get a bit more comfortable as he is feeling a bit stiff from the plane seat, and without the possibility of standing up and moving around given Callum is in the way and he does not want to disturb him, and that the plane is about to land anyway.

* * *

_ Tuesday 06:51 CST _

Marcus’ place is the obvious port of call for them - the Kiwi may have muttered under his breath one time about regretting moving further into the center of town despite all the good it brings, just because his place has become an unofficial hotel for his friends who are involved in Ferrari needing to stopover or longer, by virtue of its proximity (and also that the odds of staying away from exposure is better). He does not really mean it, being up for the fun of company anyway, but that is besides the point.

The point is, even if they are staying at Marcus’, and no matter how close he is with Callum and Mick, he is not going to show up at _dumbass_ _o’clock_ , as Marcus would call it, to pick them up. They cannot be bothered to pick each other up on a good day anyway - Mick knows it is the boyfriend privilege when he got picked up last time when he showed up in Maranello after Bahrain.

Which is why he has sorted out a ride to get them chauffeured to their destination, before they have even left the hotel in Shanghai, so while Callum is stood there narrowing his eyes at everything from his tiredness, swiveling his head in that trademark jerky way as he figures out whatever he is figuring out about an airport arrivals hall that they have frequented, Mick is already nudging him on and noticing from his phone that their ride is already there.

One good indication of how jetlagged Callum is that he just automatically follows Mick, hands over his suitcase at the car, muttering a thanks and plopping himself in the car, all the while without making a single remark on the car’s make - it being an Audi, when they are in the middle of Italy, in Ferrari country, and that they are literally being affiliated to the team in red.

It is not like you can easily find a chauffeur driving an Alfa Romeo (or god forbid - a Ferrari), so what, you are going to sue him?

They let themselves into the flat, leaving their belongings and coats by the door and jumping directly in the shower with Callum not even having the mind to try and initiate any of his funny business, and instead they just stay under the shower, both trying to wash away the plane smell, clean themselves, and most importantly, to stay awake.

They do manage to navigate the kitchen without a single instance of calamity, as they work with each other to prepare breakfast, making omelettes and open sandwiches, for three as they are not going to be shitty guests and not prepare food for Marcus while they are at it, while Mick also flicks on the coffee machine to get himself a cup, intending to make it stronger than usual just to try to keep himself up.

The allure of food somehow is enough for Marcus to abandon the comforts of his bed much earlier than usual, so the breakfast is still fresh and warm when he joins them at the table. Mick is leaning his head on Callum’s shoulder, listening to the resonance as Callum speaks, when Marcus brings up the mini crisis that transpired in free practice in Shanghai, as he sort of registers Marcus giving stick to Callum about the turn of events. He pipes up to say it is not necessarily Callum’s fault, that he certainly does not hold it against his boyfriend, but it also feels nice to be reminded that people will fight his corner.

It is a hard task to fight off jet lag when one has scant few to do. They settle on watching more of the Netflix show they have been falling behind on, whilst Marcus declares he would not third wheel and go and do whatever FDA wants him to do that day. It turns out, sitting still on a plush sofa leaning against your boyfriend is not the most effective solution to stay awake, as every now and then Mick finds himself blinking his eyes open, feeling like he has not fallen asleep, but also mildly disorientated about what is happening on screen. From what he can see from Callum’s propensity to stand up and just walk around the couch, just to sit down again, and sometimes fiddling with Mick’s hair with his fingers, he is not faring a lot better either.

They do manage to talk about the impending house search, as they discuss what they would and would not like from a place, having not found the time to have this conversation beforehand. Communication is sexy, Callum has quipped, but also they managed to figure out some common criteria they are looking for, like a good amount of windows that lets light in; having proper space to work out; or that it being decorated in sort of a minimalist fashion that would not be too “in thy face”, as neither think it is a good idea to have a place that attacks on their senses is something to be desired; or the matter about privacy that is predetermined already yet also agreed with by Callum. They of course do not agree on everything, Mick would not want them to, as both their opinions are equally important, and there is hardly anything to communicate about if they just nod and smile at everything each other says.

In the end, all their efforts to stay awake are in vain, as the sound of the front door closing rouses Mick from a slumber he was not even aware that he slipped into, with his face on Callum’s stomach, who - as he groggily sits up, he finds is in a half-lying down position sprawled diagonally on the couch, which cannot be anywhere near comfortable. Marcus does not even pay attention to the scene unfolding, just walking straight across and out into the backyard and leaving them be. Mick headbutts into Callum’s shoulder, bemoaning his failure to stay up and avoid a bad bout of jet lag. His boyfriend, who has just woken up, just groans at the knots that found their way to his back, shifts himself into a more comfortable position, cracks an eye open to smile satisfied at Mick before pulling him back down to him as they curl around each other, Callum muttering that they might as well catch some sleep at this point.

Mick gets a photo of the scene sent to him by Marcus, who found them in that state after returning from the backyard and snapped a photo of it. He smiles at it later when he sees it, deciding that his fucked sleep schedule is not something that is worth worrying about.

* * *

**17 April 2021**

_ Saturday 14:29 CET _

In the end, they settled on a place that they both liked the best. The process of the search was by no means simple, considering they were tired and all, plus needing to both ensure they are safe from getting sick and also to keep a low profile. Sabine’s people did great work with vetting choices for Mick - not that anyone knows of Callum’s involvement, though Mick also owes no one for any explanations of any sort - and that helped them arriving at a decision much more easily, some place near the edge of the city limits that is a bit more spaced out from neighbours, with a modest backyard and with ample privacy that no wayward eyes can snoop unwelcomed, and a comfortable and welcoming interior with plenty natural light being let in. The lease and other paperwork gets sorted for them, avoiding raising any attention on him. It is at times like these that Mick is particularly thankful that he has people around him that could help him handle things like these.

It is not just plug and play though, getting a place, as they both decide there are things they want to get moved to or bought for the place. Plus, at least nominally, it is a place where they are nominally based from for the race season for proximity to work rather than being a place to call home outright, so it is not like there is a big move to be happening, and no move at all has happened yet until they get everything organised. Which is why Mick is deprived of the presence of his boyfriend right now, rather than having him anywhere close, even if there is a race for them to be at in a week’s time, for the race that replaces Vietnam on the calendar. Mick stayed in Maranello to drive in the simulator to prepare himself, while Callum went home in the south of England, having flown out of Italy soon after they have decided on a choice of a place, preferring to go home to see his family and his dog, reunited with them after a few long weeks on the road. Mick knows he misses Poppy the most over everything, and he jokingly suggested, when he was dropping Callum off at the airport, that he is flying home to see his dog, to which Callum responded with mock outrage that he would not want to see his family as well. (He promised to say hi to Poppy for Mick.)

With Marcus flying out to France on Thursday as well to visit DAMS to do some work over the weekend, Mick is left to his own devices in Maranello, and he mostly manages just fine, having relatively regimented days and working through his training programs, going into the factory, dealing with other work and PR commitments. He sleeps and wakes when he is supposed to, eats according to what is deemed acceptable for him, and focuses on his work. In the evenings when he has a little time to himself and he feels awake enough, he puts on one of the shows he and Callum are watching to catch up. Of course, among it all there is also the bit where he is texting his boyfriend on a regular. It has been just a few days, and he is already feeling the distance is just a little too much for it to be ideal. Maybe it just is like that being in love. He wonders how they managed to bear the whole winter break apart.

Callum calls, just as Mick is toweling off the dishes he has used for lunch, after a late lunch as a result of his morning workout schedule. He turns down the music on Marcus' Hi-Fi and puts Callum on the speaker. He is greeted with a usual flirtatious remark that is standard Callum, as usual, he smirks and says something smart back at him.

“How’s the family?” Mick asks, as he puts the last plate down on the rack and rounds the kitchen island to grab from the couch the paperwork he is going to work through after lunch.

“Quite okay considering the circumstances,” Callum starts, with some rustling in the background, and Mick hears some commotion on his boyfriend’s end. “The big man said hi to you.”

A smile finds its way to Mick’s face, as he starts writing on the papers, “Say hello back to Steve for me.”

His boyfriend dutifully does that, as Mick ticks a few boxes on the paper after reading through the captions a few times to make sure he has not misread the print and accidentally chose the opposite response. He hears a little more commotion on Callum’s end, presumably his parents saying something that he could not quite catch.

“They’re possibly more fond of you than me,” he hears the laugh in Callum’s voice, just as Mick also catches the ‘ _ you know it’s not true!’ _ from Steve, as the background noise silences considerably, replaced by the light winds of the outside, presumably from Callum’s backyard.

“Anyway, how are you doing?”

And all is like it is as usual, they talk about random things, about the happenings over the few days they are apart, and even about the happenings over the world that come onto their radar. Their conversations always equal parts fun, heartfelt and thoughtful. Callum always has the uncanny ability to make Mick speak his mind more freely more than he would with most other people, and let him know what he thinks in turn, throwing in a random quip or joke, dirty at times, that always catches Mick off guard and makes him laugh, even if he knows to expect the unexpected with him.

In a way, it has always been like this with Callum, all the way back to 2017, when they were teammates for that one season. They have known, or at least known of, each other for longer than that, but it was during that year that they properly got to know each other and became acquaintances and later friends. They were on and off in contact with each other, with both racing in different series for a little bit, but they always felt there was a respect, understanding and in some ways, a connection between them when they interacted. The seeds of their relationship were probably planted long ago, and probably simmered for a while, especially since they raced in the same series together again in F2. Mick still has not pinpointed whenabouts he realised he felt more for Callum than friendship, with everything with Callum feeling so natural. But he also figures it is not that important to figure it out, when he still has the Callum that has drawn him close in the first place, and now with all the things with love that they have built on top of it.

They say their goodbyes eventually, with Mick needing to do another session of workout for the afternoon, as does Callum, from what he hears from his boyfriend. They would see each other at Portimão anyway, as Callum had been told he would be travelling to Portugal but not Spain earlier in the week.

* * *

**18 April 2021**

_ Sunday 17:11 GMT _

As much as Callum enjoys a lot of things in life, beyond the obvious ones of the thrill of being in a kart or a car and racing around, and spending time with Mick wherever they are together, he also loves his family and his dog a lot, and has missed them quite a bit over the past few weeks, after being stuck in Maranello doing sim work and having gone on the road all the way over to China to drive a free practice session. Which is why he has also relished the moment he stepped through the threshold of his family home and was greeted by the sight of Poppy bounding over with her tiny little legs, even if it meant leaving Mick behind in Maranello.

He is greeted with hugs from his parents when he barely got to the living room, and then crouched down a little to say hi to her little sister as well, who he feels has to have grown at least an inch taller since he has last seen her. Such is the power of adolescence and their growth spurts, Callum figures.

It felt good to be back at home, and aside from the training work he does, even if he is not strictly obligated to follow given he is not an active driver (he does so anyway because he wants to stay fit for any eventuality and show everyone he has the hunger and drive to fight for his future), he finds himself enjoying the familiar surroundings, spending time walking around their backyard; or sitting in the living room in a blanket cocoon with Poppy snuggling into him somewhere; or helping his mother out in the kitchen despite her insistence that he is not needed; or just sitting by the window with a cup of herbal tea in hand, talking to his father about everything, while watching the slightly dreary weather in the skies. There was also an hour or two of COD stream he had done with Ticktum and Fewtrell, as they gave him shit again for favouring camping at a spot instead of going out on offense. He has even gone down to the stables once to greet the horses, even if he is not the one riding horses in his family.

And of course there is also him and Mick texting at all times of day, and that one time he called when he was just sitting inside, on the floor by the screen door to the backyard and looking outside. His father, somewhere in the back of the living room, was not thrown off by Callum blatantly flirting with whomever was on the phone with him, and instead immediately made the correct guess that Callum was speaking to Mick and told him to say hi for him.

In truth, he has never really mentioned to his parents about his preferences or his recent relationship statuses. He has had his fair share of girlfriends before, which is not a difficult feat for when you are good looking, humorous, flirtatious and a racing driver. It is just that he also likes the idea of dating a guy, and the opportunity had just not come before Mick came along. He has not told his parents about him and Mick being together, not for fear of anything, but just that there had not been a reason to. As it turned out, he did not need to anyway, as his parents somehow had that figured out quite early on, probably Callum constantly texting and calling with Mick would be a dead giveaway, especially when he always seemed delighted when that happened.

He knows that his parents like Mick, they have met before, when they were at races and Mick crossed paths with them. That was before the two of them were an item, and even then Mick had charmed his parents with his good manners and thoughtful words in their short conversations. He figures his parents are probably secretly approves of Mick, not that he needs their approval for it, but that is besides the point. It is just that his mother always has a knowing look when Callum is texting Mick, and his father, just this morning, had pointed out the pastel pink hoodie Callum was wearing is Mick’s, in a tone like he was talking about the weather. It is a wonder that neither had brought it up in direct terms even if it is blatantly obvious everyone knows that everyone is aware that Callum and Mick are dating. He knows sooner or later he would have to do something or another to introduce his boyfriend to his parents, even if they know one another already.

* * *

**25 April 2021**

_ Sunday 17:11 UTC _

Mick knows it is a year of learning for him, and that it would be a hard one given the machinery the team has had to carry over from the previous year. Nonetheless, it has to be a tiny bit disappointing to be fighting hard for just scraps every race, but looking at the bright side, at least he sees the two points he fought hard for in Bahrain on the board, rather than a zero next to his name. It has been another pointless race for him, as the deficit in his car is just a little too much to bridge the gap to the tail end of the battle for the points, instead fighting for places in the lower half of the field. The track at Algarve is a fun one to drive, with the corners flowing from one to the next, with plenty undulation at play as well. It is challenging, especially with a car that is loose in handling in the first place, but Mick relished the challenge and enjoyed the driving, just not the bit where he gets lapped and being unable to take the fight to the others in a more meaningful manner.

Callum has been in the paddock and thereabouts over the weekend, his boyfriend being here with Ferrari with no particular duties other than being there in the garage and in meetings, as well as any media duties that may arise for him. They try to catch each other in the paddock here and there, but do not have too many exchanges aside from a quick word and a quick slap of the shoulder when their paths cross. The bulk of their time together comes at the hotel, with only one hotel in the immediate vicinity of the track, it is only too likely that they would be at the same place again. Mick has not managed to pull any shenanigans to put their rooms next to each other this time, but nonetheless Callum has almost all but migrated to Mick’s room for the weekend, leaving only his clothes in his suitcase in his own room, and brought everything else with him to Mick’s room. It is not as dramatic as they literally sleep better with each other in the same bed, but it does feel good to be able to hug and tangle with someone in sleep. They have learned from the calamity of the first night in China, and Mick had gone to the lengths to set sleep alarms for them, more for himself, so that they would not stay up too late and wake up feeling like a shell of themselves during the weekend.

He has spoken to Callum again, on air with the debrief show that he has agreed to host with Will again. He does the customary stopping by while he is on the way to debrief to answer a few quick questions, as Will asked him about the race, while Callum again managed to worm in and prompt Mick to talk about if he enjoyed driving the track.

He comes back out of debrief an hour later, reading Callum’s text that tells him that he is already back at the hotel waiting for him, and asking him, with the day still young, if he would be interested to go out into Faro for dinner and a walk or something. With the slightly relaxed rules with bubbles, given they are both drivers in the sport, they could hang out with each other in public without repercussions, and given they are not restricted to hotel and track for the race in Portugal, they could go out provided they do not come into contact with crowds of people while they are out and about.

They jump into Mick’s window-tinted Alfa Romeo rental after he had a quick shower, as Callum drives them down the highway to the city, as Mick lets his hand be held over the center console, as he reclines a little to rest, the fatigue of the physical race catching up on him. A light tug on his hand after the car stopped alerts him that they have got to their destination, and Mick finally opens his eyes, not noticing that he has dozed off in the roughly hour-long drive.

Callum leads him up a building to some rooftop restaurant there, and they look over the historic old town of Faro surrounded by the old moorish wall, just a few streets down from where they are at. They had some meal that is probably a touch heavier than what they usually have, but cheat meal and all that, as they had some deliciously prepared gourmet burgers served to them, and Callum without fail, has his favourite apple juice to go with the meal as well. The place is not crowded at all, with various restrictions that are still in place, meaning that not a lot of people are out and about in the evening, thus also granting them some privacy as they sit to the side and dine with each other. They walk around the the city center afterwards, partly to burn off some of the meal they have just consumed, but also because there just is a different flair to the towns by the seaside in Iberia, as they walk through narrow side streets that are paved by elaborately placed cobblestones, between pristine white buildings, illuminated by dim-yellow street lights. They eventually stop by the city walls, looking up at the old walls and the elaborately decorated city gates, as Mick also looks up the history of the place as they walk around the narrow streets of the tiny old city center. At some point Callum quips that they are like some old couple who prefers the quiet and calmness of the old town to the island strip off the coast which is the center of nightlife - not that there is any nightlife right now with a pandemic going on - but Mick unironically agrees that he would prefer to do this with Callum than going to some crazy party scene that is way too crowded for his taste.

They drive back late in the evening, Mick not resisting Callum’s insistence to drive, feeling too tired to do so himself, and he more or less faceplants the bed and falls asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow when they eventually got back, Callum chuckling and climbing into bed to spoon him when he sees the sight.

Mick flies home to Switzerland first, the following afternoon, as Callum would also fly home to England back to his family, with him not needing to travel down to Barcelona for the next race. His team had told him that they might need him down in Italy for the simulator and other work over the next race weekend, and Callum had decided to stopover at home first to recharge before heading back down to Maranello. With some deliveries and final touches due at their place, Callum had told Mick to not worry about it, and that he would handle the loose ends, and only telling him that he could fly down to Maranello after the race in Spain if he so desired. Mick did not really need to be told twice, and when he got home, quickly secured himself a ticket to fly out to Bologna from Barcelona, and texting Callum the details, who gave a thumbs up in return.

* * *

**4 May 2021**

_ Tuesday 11:37 CET _

“No... sì, laggiù.” Callum says as he gestures at the location where Mick wants the bed to be placed in the master bedroom, somewhere the sunlight could reach through the windows. 

Callum would not say he is not good at Italian, because that would be a lie, but it is just that he lacks a little confidence when it comes to foreign languages because he is just terribly British, even though Mick has told him that his Italian sounds just fine, he finds himself fumbling from time to time.

There were not a lot of things that they needed for the place, just the essential moveable furnitures like beds, tables and chairs that needed purchasing because the place came renovated, but without furnishings, and that is the reason why Callum is here, slightly out of his depth as he arranges for things to be delivered to where they need to be, wondering how F1 manages to organise hundreds if not thousands of tonnes of tools and equipment across the globe when he is at times struggling to get the new place in order. As he checks off the list, there is just the fridge that comes in the afternoon, and the standing desk that Mick insisted on getting for the room they have designated as office that are yet to be delivered, though there is still the process where Callum has to plug in their own stuff, like his own game console and computer, as well as the simulators they have gotten for themselves to make sure they are in working order. It feels like things are coming together, as he sees out the movers, and goes to drag the mattress he had left in the office to crash on for the previous night back into the bedroom to set it on the bed, and get the bedding sorted.

He does have a nagging feeling that something is missing, as he runs through the list he and Mick had come up with together a while back, trying to figure out what might be missing. He draws blank, originally, until he goes into the kitchen in search of his stash of ice tea that Marcus claims is not tea, and accidentally opens the wrong cabinet. He pulls out his phone to text Mick.

From: Ilotty

_ remember me saying smth is missing? _

_ i figured it out _

_ we have got no kitchenware nor tableware _

From: M ❤️️

_ That is terrible news. _

_ (Photo) _

_ Hello from Barcelona btw _

Callum is left wondering if his boyfriend has always been a little shit who laughs at his misfortune and sends him a selfie of him making a pouty face and ignoring the real world issue that he has just raised. If he is ignoring the fact that he wants to kiss that damn face right then.

(Signs point to yes, but just that now that Mick is his boyfriend, he is much more blatant about everything, with Mick showing his full no filter self to Callum without needing to care about projecting a certain public image of himself, or needing to consider how Callum would perceive his texts and reactions, or needing to worry about Callum running to the press to mouth him off.)

He instead texts back both a middle finger and a kissy face emoji, before calling his mother.

“What should I do if I have zero kitchenware and tableware and I have no idea what to buy?” He asks, as soon as his mother picks up, without even bothering with the greetings. The stress of furnishing a place is really getting to him, which is funny as racing has to be much more high stakes than this, and he does not ever feel this kind of stressed when he races.

“Well hello to you too, Callum.” His mother greets him nonetheless, as he mumbles an apology.

He has mentioned about getting a place with Mick, for being closer to work, though still without explaining their relationship, not that there are any explanations needed when he sees the knowing look on his parents place. But at least that means his mother is in the know when he randomly calls her up asking her about kitchenware and tableware, and not being confused why her son is asking her about that when he is in the middle of Italy.

On reflection, the tableware bit is easy to solve, because Callum has to know what a plate or a fork looks like, so they focus on the pots and pans instead. His mother quips that it is a bit hilarious that he cannot tell what utensils he needs when Callum is perfectly capable of making food for himself, but she nonetheless talks him through what she thinks are essential for him without overbuying things that he would not end up not using.

Callum more or less jumps into the car immediately after receiving the fridge to go hunt for the stuff, just so he could actually make himself something to eat. There is also the fact that he has told Marcus he could come over and dinner would be served. Shit, that means a grocery run is on order as well. His quick run into Bologna in search of food and tools went relatively smoothly, and when Marcus shows up at his door, commenting that the place is hard to reach, he has food in the skillet sitting atop the induction hob, and a bunch of as yet unneeded kitchenware and tableware still sitting at the back of his company Alfa.

Marcus grumbles, over dinner, about the absurdity of the calendar setting for the season, leaving F2 without tracks like Barcelona, Spielberg and Spa. Even though they all knew it for a while already, it still is a bit of a stupid situation, and Callum has to agree, that there seem to be more flyaway races for both junior formulas with the organisers’ obsession of not having both F2 and F3 running on the same tracks, including a random flyaway to the US for F3 as the season ending races.

* * *

**6 May 2021**

_ Thursday 21:11 CET _

Mick calls at the tail end of the media day, as he settles back into his hotel room, telling Callum that he has missed him. Callum does what he does best, prompting Mick to talk and saying things to distract him, eventually getting it out of Mick that he was just a little restless for some reason unknown, so Callum talks to him about everything, about a funny thing Poppy did in the backyard the week ago, about the adventures he has gone through a few days ago hunting for kitchenware, when he said  _ papaia _ instead of _ pentola _ when he was looking for a pot in a shop, and got a weird look from the lady at the shop, or about his technical problems when he was setting up the simulators, trying to get it to work, and eventually figuring out that he plugged the screen into each other rather than into the computer like he was supposed to. By the end of it Mick was giggly, and from the little droop Callum could hear from his voice, he could tell that he finally got tired. He told Mick that he should go to bed, but to text him if he still needs Callum. He stayed up until nearly an hour past midnight just in case he was needed again, but in the end no text was forthcoming, and he went to bed as well. He got a text from Mick the next morning, thanking him for helping. He tells him that it is the least he could do for him.

* * *

**8 May 2021**

_ Saturday 14:36 CET _

Friday was all work for Callum in the factory, as he had gone in more or less after the first practice session to discuss with the engineers about what they want to do for the simulator time, and he was in the sim by the time FP2 started, doing parallel work to the team on track to test different set-ups and giving feedback as the cars circulate on tracks, doing their own tests as well. He had only hopped out of the car to go to the toilet, to get dinner, and to talk to the engineers to have a proper debrief on the various setups tested. It ended up being another all nighter for him, as the cars ended up performing worse than expected over the FPs, and he worked until the crack of dawn overnight, along with the engineers as they tried everything in their repertoire to improve the set-up of the car and to compensate for the handling issues the car seem to be suffering from.

He had not had the time to check his phone to see if anyone had texted him, and instead jumped into a company car as someone from the factory drove him back to his place, and face planted on the bed as soon as he got back. By the time he wakes up, it is less than half an hour before FP3 is due to start. He turns on the TV they had placed in the room, and Mick’s face shows up on screen just as Callum tunes it to Sky. He groggily feels around the bed for his phone, before finding it on the floor, and opening to read Mick wishing he had enough rest after a presumably long night at work. He texts back a thanks and wishing him luck for the day, even Mick would not see it until after FP3 the earliest, and more probably not until after qualifying has ended.

He just stays in bed, still some way short of feeling well rested, as he has the volume of the TV down, and just watches the cars circulating the track until he feels himself awake enough. Nothing of note happens during the FP, so eventually when Callum’s hunger is a bit too overbearing, he gets out of bed to make himself some toast to stuff his face, before sitting down in front of his computer to play some silly little games that does not require too much attention but also lets him unwind a little all the same.

He only checks back at his television to see the qualifying results at the end of qualifying, seeing that his boyfriend just barely missed out on Q2, and texts a little bit of encouragement to his boyfriend again, in case he needs it.

* * *

_ Saturday 17:03 UTC _

Mick is hanging out with the Prema pitwall when the first Formula 3 race is in session on track, and he hangs out by the fencing to see the cars whizz by, with Arthur leading the field. He hangs out with Ralf, who is standing in for Rene for the race as team manager for the race. Before the race started, he had quipped if Ralf was going to do his best angry Italian man impression as a stand in, earning himself a punch in the shoulder as his friend rolled his eyes at him. He thinks Ralf is doing a good job though, both at his job and the part of imitating Rene, as he hears Ralf drops some impressive string of Italian swear words that even Mick is not sure if he could manage himself, as the third Prema gets taken out by a clumsy Hitech, triggering a safety car that negates Arthur’s sizable lead.

It is then, when he sees Sebastian just passing by, levelling a look that is a mix of very impressed and amused at Ralf, before he stops next to Mick. They initially do not say much, other than exchanging pleasantries and bumping fists, talking about the race unfolding in front of him, though the existence of the two drivers by trackside draws the attention of the TV cameras as the on track action neutralises, and Mick sees the camera hovering somewhere to their side, and gets a glimpse of himself and Sebastian, right after the replay of the crash, when he peeks at Ralf’s screen on the pitwall to look at the TV feed.

They stay there for a while, before Sebastian decides that he is going to get going, but he also taps his shoulder and nods his head asking if he would also come with him. Mick, deciding that the race is a foregone conclusion in Prema’s favour, nods and follows, leaving behind the prying eyes and ears of the cameras and microphones, as they walk back in the mostly deserted paddock, still chatting about harmless things about what they think of the track, and Mick’s thoughts of his qualifying performance. Sebastian nods and gives him some advice as well, the Aston Martin driver having a resurgent season and qualified in the top ten, showing the world that he still has it in him. Eventually, as they get to the motorhomes at the back of the paddock, Sebastian asks if he could come sit in his truck for a little, also producing a bag with some tea bags inside. Mick is lured by the promise of tea (Callum’s influence is evident), and the fact that Seb is always good to talk to about things.

They continue to talk about how Mick has been doing in the first few races, though eventually Seb changes the topic as he finishes his cup of tea and sets it down.

“How’s Callum?”

Mick nearly chokes on the tea or spits them out like a ballistic missile, though managing to do neither, instead swallowing the sip he has just had, before composing himself. He knows he can trust Sebastian to fight his corner, so it is not that he is worried about anything, nor is it that he did not expect Seb to bug him about this after Callum told him he got caught by Seb in China, but he is still thrown off by the abrupt questioning a little.

Apparently his reaction is enough to tell Seb whatever he was thinking, because he says, “you don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”

He knows that Seb takes it upon himself to offer Mick help should he need them, and could be protective about some fellow drivers who he think are worth it, and just cares about people a lot. His message to Charles on his helmet when they swapped helmets last season comes to mind, as does the time when he won all eight races in ROC after Pascal got injured, after spending a long time in the hospital with him the night before the event, a few years back.

“Yeah, he’s doing ok. Had a long night in the sim overnight so slept in this morning.” Mick eventually decides on.

Seb nods. “You two seem to care a lot about each other.”

Instead of addressing that observation, he tells Seb that they have a place together in Maranello for when they are in Italy. Mick is not sure if Seb understands his insinuation, though he nods and tells him that he hopes that they would treasure what they have together. He tells Mick that it is not his story to tell, but he just says he hopes that things would not turn out for them like, “you know, Lewis and Nico,” as he just opens his hands and does a little shrug. He nods, knowing that Seb is one of Lewis’ few friends and would have witnessed the fallout of that explosive reaction between the two who were once very close, though he also knows that he and Callum both understand and respect each other at the fundamental level, and everything comes after. So he tells Seb what he thinks, appreciating his concerns.

“I think, even if we put aside what Cal and I have together, we respect each other too much for that to happen to us. We’re better than that. You saw how we were last year when we were fighting all year for the title.” Mick says, as he gestures at things, seemingly another thing he picked up from Callum, “I’d like to think fundamentally me and him are more like you and Lewis, if anything.”

Seb seems to think about things for a moment after Mick’s response, though there is also recognition in his eyes when he processes Mick has more or less told him that him and Callum are a thing. He eventually nods with a little smile pulling on his slightly tired features, as he pats Mick on the shoulder, asking if Callum makes him happy.

“He does.”

Seb smiles wider then, patting him on the head, before telling him that he has to get going, but not to hesitate to text him or call him whenever he wants to, that he is always just a call away. Mick smiles too, walking him to the entrance and seeing him off, as Seb strolls back towards the paddock, presumably back to do whatever he needs to do at Aston.

* * *

**9 May 2021**

_ Sunday 16:11 UTC _

Mick’s race ended prematurely, as he got caught up in a tangle in the midfield melee with nowhere to go, and got his rear suspension broken as a car slams into his back wheel, and he went straight off Turn 13 to pull off the racing line, leaving his car there. He goes through the media pen, answering questions about the incident, mostly consisting of the gist that he could not see what happened on his inside, and he had nowhere to go before someone punted him off and broke his suspension. He kept a straight face when one of the Spanish journalists told him that it was his teammate who crashed him out, ignoring the way that he is internally fuming, instead going through with the rest of the interviews professionally, before going back to the team trailer to debrief what they could for the twenty-odd laps he has done, and heading back to the hotel, with not much in way that would require him to stay on track. Even if the optics may not look too great if the TV cameras cannot find him on the pitwall for the rest of the race, he could not bring himself to care. Gunther would understand, he is sure. So he drives with his trainer back to the hotel, cleans himself up, and starts his pack up early. He is sitting in the middle of his bed, with everything in order, having just seen off his trainer who came over to talk about the next weekend, and checks his phone for the first time since his race ended prematurely.

There is one from his mother asking if he is alright, and to call him when he has the time. He dutifully does that, reassuring her that he is okay, and that he would be home after Canada. He then continues to look through his messages, answering texts from friends inside and outside racing, before finally looking at Callum’s. Knowing his boyfriend, he already knows there would be some understatement for the year, followed by something that is totally unrelated to the race.

From: Ilotty

_ well that’s a bit shite _

_ don’t break anything, you have good pasta waiting for you at home _

_ or if u want a marathon workout session, i’m down for that too _

Mick smiles at the fact that Callum just casually referred to their place in Maranello that is meant to be their shared residence when they are in Maranello simply as home, and honestly, Callum is not wrong, because with him there, the place in Maranello would be as much of a home as the one in Switzerland, for different reasons. He also stares at the term marathon workout session for a good minute, as if he could figure out if Callum really means workout, or if his sneaky boyfriend means  _ something else _ entirely. He could never tell. But honestly, he would be down for either option as well along with the offer of pasta.

From: M ❤️️

_ ¿Por qué no los dos? _

From: Ilotty

_ don’t turn into Marcus and spanish me _

_ but ok _

_ text me when you land _

He smiles at the texts, and pockets his phone when his trainer comes round again and asks if he is coming with for dinner, without a certain Brit occupying him and feeding him nutritionally questionable food, and meets him downstairs to go to somewhere that his trainer approves of and have a good meal together, talking about life in general, hearing how his trainer’s family are doing back at home. They are joined by Pierre and Pyry, his trainer, when they happen to walk into the same place, and had quite a blast together, with the Frenchman always able to provide a good laugh to everyone around. By the end of the night, the disappointment of the race is already out of the system, and Mick sleeps well that night, which bodes well given he has an early flight out to catch.

* * *

**10 May 2021**

_ Monday 11:19 CET _

The flight over from Barcelona is a literal hop across the pond, as he gets on and off the plane in the same morning, and by the time he gets to the arrivals, with his trustee black cap hanging low over his face, it is still not yet noon. The airport is relatively deserted, and he has already shooted off a message to his boyfriend when he got off the plane. The lanky brown haired boy hanging back by the same pillar last time he came and picked him up, and Mick just strolls over to him leisurely, walks around the pillar when Callum does not notice him, his eyes glued to his phone, and pats him on the shoulder from behind. It startles the crap out of his boyfriend, whose arms flail a little, and it is a wonder that his phone does not go on a spontaneous expedition to Mars. Mick bursts out laughing as Callum flips the bird at him, though just as quick he is pulled into a one-armed hug, and is led to Callum’s Quadrifoglio is parked just across the exit of the terminal, and they are on the road in no time, as Mick plugs in the destination while Callum is driving on the highway, guiding them to the quiet edge of town.

The drive starts quiet, as by now, Mick is accustomed to Callum holding his hand and playing with his fingers on the center console while driving, and Mick plugs in the aux cord to play some song from his phone. As Callum pulls onto a changeover to another highway, he speaks up, glancing at Mick before focusing back on the road.

“Oh yeah, Sabine dropped by yesterday with like a suitcase of your clothes.” He says nonchalantly.

Mick’s eyes open wider than they were previously. He is not surprised that his clothes got delivered, as he has indeed spoken to Sabine about doing that, but he did not expect his manager to go all the way down to Maranello with his clothes and deliver them personally. Not unless she thinks she has business down here anyway.

“Did she say anything?” Mick asks, praying that Callum did not get a talking to about stuff, when he is his boyfriend, who is perfectly aware of how Mick would like to handle his personal life and is only too happy to accommodate his needs.

Callum does a little shrug, “not much, she just looked at me for a moment, before handing the suitcase over and asking me if I have everything under control. I told her yes.” Mick makes a mental note to talk to her to reassure her that Callum is fine and would not cause issues to her managing Mick’s stuff.

Since they are on the topic of talking to people, Mick also tells Callum about the talk he and Sebastian had, and Callum just nods along and remarks that it is not so bad after all, and that he appreciates Sebastian looking out for that, and that he also likes the idea of them possibly fighting for something in the future, making a self deprecating joke out of his current predicament that Mick is having none off, squeezing his hand to shut him up.

* * *

_ Monday 12:21 CET _

Callum pulls into the driveway, parking the car outside the place round back, right by the side door to the place that leads straight into the kitchen. He is a dramatic person at times, that is granted, but it feels a little too dramatic even for him, when he finds himself feeling a little surreal as he turns the car off, in a way feeling that he has arrived home with the person he loves.

“Welcome home?” Callum says, with it coming out a little like a question instead.

Mick smiles, nonetheless, “Yep, welcome home,” as he leans over the center console to kiss Callum’s cheek, before pressing the release to undo Callum’s seatbelt. “Let’s get moving.”

He tells Mick to stay in the kitchen, as he takes Mick’s luggage into the office to let it be dealt with later, and comes back to the kitchen to find Mick crouching in front of the oven like a little kid peering at the food. Mick looks like a kid who had gotten caught with his hands in the candy jar, and smiles sheepishly as he gets up. “Sorry, a little hungry and that smells amazing.”

Callum laughs and pecks him on the lips, as he goes to get his oven mitt to take the pan out from the oven. “Why’re you sorry? It’s cute.”

He places the pan on a pad on the kitchen counter, letting the wonderful smell of lasagne waffle into the air, he had made it earlier in the morning, soon after he had his breakfast, and left it in the often to keep warm before he headed out for the airport to pick up Mick. He has deliberately made the sauce lighter, though the soul of tomatoes and herbs is still in there, though he has also blended in some veggies to make it a bit more compliant to their trainers’ wishes, and it still smells quite good. Callum had sneaked a taste of it before heading out, and he likes it a lot, and hopefully Mick would like it as well. He also pulls out some salad from the fridge that he had mixed as a siding to be served as well.

He and Mick go to work to make a serving for both of them, complete with juice being placed by their dishes and cutlery as well. Mick pulls out his phone to take a picture of the table that has their dishes placed in perfect symmetry, he waits until Mick has put his phone down and sat down again, before asking, “I hope the promise of good pasta is fulfilled?” Before moving to start demolishing the lasagne in his own plate. Mick is full of praise for the food being served, saying that it is as good a way as he could picture, coming home from a race to tasty homemade food and having Callum sitting opposite him. They talk more about things over food, like one of the engineers who was working overnight with Callum dozing off and hitting his head on the computer screen, or Mick reenacting Ralf’s long string of curses as the safety car was called for the F3 race, and normal life stuff, like the dog Callum saw earlier in the week which one of their neighbours from a nearby street was walking.

They sat by the window with a mug of tea each in hand after the meal, soaking in their surroundings as they each stew about something. Not sure about what Mick is thinking, but Callum is still just registering that this is a place both he and Mick could call home, at least temporarily, that they have all to themselves. After a while, Mick disappears into the shower, citing his need to clean the plane smell out of himself.

It is only coincidence that Mick comes back into the living room just as a love song is playing on the sound system, though Callum suspects the atmosphere is going to be charged regardless of there being songs being played or not, as he sees the look on Mick’s face as they lock eyes, and he already knows what his boyfriend is up to. He stands up, meeting Mick halfway, as he gets pulled into a kiss that starts slow but gets more heated by the second as Callum deepens it. Mick mumbles that he has missed him while he was away, and makes a point as he shoves a leg between Callum’s, pressing flush against each other even if they are still fully clothed.

Eventually, when they break apart, there is a glint in Mick’s eyes, and he is nearly floored by the boldness of his boyfriend when he says something, but at the same time he really should not have expected any less. “About the  _ workout session _ you promised me, I think it is a good way to christen the bed.” Mick’s pupils are blown by then, and the gaze and the smirk he shows Callum is irresistible, so he just nods as he walks Mick backwards until they enter the master bedroom, and climbing over Mick when his legs hit the foot of the bed and tips over to fall on the bed.

For all of Callum’s lankiness, it is not like he lacks strength in any part, as he holds Mick down with his hands above his head and kisses down on his boyfriend, filthily, might he add, and rut a little against each other. Eventually though, he cedes control to Mick, letting them be flipped over and positions be reversed, as he would let Mick have it his way if it is his idea to christen the bed.

It started slow, and Mick has almost held Callum in an embrace all the way through, as he buries his face in the crook of Callum’s neck, and gradually picks up speed of his thrusting, all the while kissing places where he could reach with his lips without stopping his motions. He is pretty sure Mick has sucked a hickey somewhere on his chest as well in the frenzy, though thankful that it is not somewhere on his neck that would be difficult to conceal. He feels the pleasure and pressure pooling at his stomach, and knows from the way Mick is panting that he is getting close as well, when Mick suddenly stills, drawing a whine (not that he would admit it) out of Callum that is swallowed by Mick kissing him dirty again.

“Why did you do that?” He complains, as he tries to nudge Mick’s arse with his legs to get his boyfriend to start moving again. A devilish grin that is fueled by lust finds its way to Mick’s face, as he responds with a simple “ _ marathon workout session _ , remember?” that seems to explain everything. In a way, it does, and Callum wonders if he had sealed his fate when he pressed send on the message and promised Mick this while intending to cheer his boyfriend up.

They teeter on the edge for an amount of time that Callum would only describe as excessive, as they went through several rounds of stop-start action that Mick holds back just as they were on the edge of being gone, letting it dissipate a little before going again. Callum would not say he did not enjoy the pleasure, but he also just wants a release. By the end, Callum decides to take matters into his own hands, catching Mick off guard by flipping them both over, holding his boyfriend down as he fucks them both over the edge, as Callum nearly collapses into Mick’s chest as he comes, and feeling the pulsation of his boyfriend a few seconds later, being gone with him as well.

Callum rolls over and checks his phone on the bedside table a good while later to see that more than two hours had passed while they went through all that, and he smacks Mick in the chest blindly as he mumbles, “you fucker,” and Mick helpfully responding “yeah, I did just fuck you,” which just earns him another smack on the shoulder from Callum.

They fall asleep there and then, without the threat of getting caught, and for the day at least, having nowhere to be. They can worry about little things like cleaning themselves and all else later. Falling asleep in each other’s arms and feeling at home is all that matters for Callum right this moment.

**Author's Note:**

> Yes, I put the Portuguese GP into the TBC slot on F1's calendar. No, I don't know what would happen with the real 2021 F1 calendar.
> 
> GMT = Greenwich Mean Time (i.e. UK Time)  
> UTC = Universal Coordinated Time (same as GMT, but I used this to distinguish as continental Europe places with the timezone)  
> CET = Central European Time
> 
> you can find my side Tumblr for this ao3 a/c: [schulott](https://schulott.tumblr.com/).
> 
> Would you comment pretty please?  
> Again - more ideas, where is the time to write? I hope there is more to come and I hope you want more as well?


End file.
